Cal Fire staffs up as weather warms up

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Following the recent warmer temperatures and drying conditions, Cal Fire will increase its staffing in Northern California in continued preparation for fire season.

Starting Monday, Cal Fire will be transitioning into fire season across the Bay Area and Sacramento region, including the counties of Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Yuba, Placer, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Yolo, Colusa, and parts of Stanislaus and San Joaquin.

Since late January, Cal Fire has been hiring and training seasonal firefighters well ahead of schedule in order to augment its full-time firefighting force.

“We’ve been ramping up to meet the elevated threat of wildfire since January and this transition into fire season in the northern region is more than a month ahead of schedule,” said Kelley Gouette, operations chief for Cal Fire’s Northern Region.

This year, Cal Fire has already responded to more than twice as many fires as average with nearly 1,200 wildfires igniting to date.

Cal Fire is asking homeowners to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires and that every home has 100 feet of defensible space.

Since late January, Cal Fire has been hiring and training seasonal firefighters well ahead of schedule …